Mastermind

Duration:

30 min

Genres:

Game-Show

IMDB rate:

6.9

Awards:

3 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Cast

Actor

Character

John Humphrys

Himself - Host / ... (216 episodes, 2003-2015)

Did you know?

Trivia

The show originally ran from 1972-1997 on BBC1 with Magnus Magnusson as quizmaster. Due to popular demand it was resurrected in 2003 on BBC Two, following exactly the same format, with John Humphrys as the new quizmaster.

TV campaigner Mary Whitehouse is indirectly responsible for the growth and success of Mastermind. In 1973 the BBC were transmitting a comedy program called Casanova '73 (1973) starring Leslie Phillips. Ms. Whitehouse objected to the content of the program, which she saw as being smutty and unsuitable for transmission before the 9pm watershed. The BBC responded by swapping the time slots of Mastermind and Casanova '73. So Mastermind went on to prime time and Casanova '73 went to the 11:20pm graveyard slot - it was to last only one series. Mastermind then began to attract audiences of 14-15 million and went from strength to strength.

If the host has begun to read a question when the beeps that signal the end of the time limit sound, he continues to read out the rest of the question and gives the contestant a short period of time in which to answer it. This rule is the origin of the show's famous catchphrase, "I've started so I'll finish".